


Ordering in

by alevela



Category: Star Wa, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Paris, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Ben Solo - Freeform, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo is Trying, Ben Solo is a Mess, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Other, Rey & Rose Tico Friendship, Rey - Freeform, Rey Is In Charge (Star Wars), Rey is Trying Her Best (Star Wars), Rey is in Denial (Star Wars), Reylo - Freeform, Smut, Why Did I Write This?, ben solo is supreme chef, but eventually, but he's so cute, rey will be the very best of them all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-19 05:41:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29745837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alevela/pseuds/alevela
Summary: Rey is the new commis chef at the most exclusive american bistro in Paris, The First Order. Ben Solo, the youngest and most talented chef in the city, runs the place with a hand of steel.Ratatouille meets Star Wars meets Romcom and I'm not even going to apologize for this.
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 20
Kudos: 32





	1. 1.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [diasterisms](https://archiveofourown.org/users/diasterisms/gifts), [bunilicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunilicious/gifts).



> Hope you enjoy this, whoever you guys are. English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance for all the orthographic/gramar drama. Be safe, stay home & read fics!

She was ready. More than ready. She had spent the last four years studying hard. She had worked endless hours as a dishwasher, as a kitchen porter; had chopped, cleaned, fried, stirred, melted, puffed and salted almost every existent dish on earth, and most importantly, had dreamt about this moment for a long time. There was no way in hell she wasn't ready.

When The Order had returned Rey's call, the first thought that went through her mind was something in between "well, fuck" and "yes, please". She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. The Order was one of the five restaurants that had survived Paris as a french-american bistro, and if it had it was because its cuisine was beyond excellent. It still had to win its very sought-after third Michelin Star, but from Rey's perspective, having already earned two could be considered pretty major.  
Of course, she had also heard the rumors. You didn't get to be the best french-american restaurant in Paris without cracking a few eggs. Literally. If the catering world was already known for its harsh and often cruel work environment, The Order was pretty much known for being the worst.  
But that's the price you pay, she thought. You want to be the best? Then go be with the best. And if the best turned out to be maniacs who only cared about food and mistreated anything else that wasn't, including people, well, you stayed by their side for as long as your mind and body could take it and then got away with all the expertise and maybe, perhaps, some minor trauma.  
That's what her teacher at the Cordon Bleu had said, anyway. Cooking was about taking and giving. It takes everything from you, but gives it back to the world. That was what this passion was about. She had called Luke as soon as she knew for sure she had gotten the job.  
"You've done well, kid" said master Luke with his tired, musky voice. "Just make sure you don't lose yourself in there."  
"I won't, I'd never."  
"You'd be surprised."  
She knew why he'd said that. She knew about Luke's former student, the one who quit Cordon Bleu to become the greatest, youngest, boldest chef in France. How he'd charged against the school, its teachers and its program on his first live interview on national television. Luke had always avoided the subject, but whenever it got late and he and his favorite students went out for a drink after school, Ben Solo always came up. And he was always mentioned with bitterness, and sorrow, and sadness, and disappointment, and guilt. Lots of guilt.  
Solo started working as a kitchen porter for The Order. Less than six months later, he had already become the sous-chef. A year after that, he won the restaurant's second Michelin Star as its Head Chef.  
But genius always came with a downside. He was also very well known for having the most terrible, explosive bad temper.  
But that wouldn't stop her. She knew who she was. Her calmness and determination had always served her well and gotten her out of the worst situations. Come what may, she would handle it. She would walk out of The Order with knowledge enough to open her own bistro. And then, and only then, she would die happy.  
She took a big breath in and rang the back door's bell. She was about to faint, but somehow managed to smile. Was it a thing, fainting but not being able to stop smiling? Like keeping your eyes open while you sneeze?  
A red haired guy opened the door and stood at the entrance, looking at her with piercing eyes. Rey widened her smile.  
"What do you want?"  
Okay, that hadn't been very welcoming. But you knew this, she thought to herself; and you can handle it.  
"Yes, hi, I'm Rey. I'm the new commis chef?" "You're asking because you don't know?" said the redhead with a ragging smile. Rey felt herself blush. "Oh, I do know. But do you?"  
That seemed to startle him a bit. She bit her lip down almost immediately. Okay, if you want to keep this job, you better shut your mouth as of right now.  
"Did the new commis chef just burn you to the ground, Armie?" A feminine voice came from inside the kitchen. Suddenly a tall, impressive blonde woman came at the door and stood beside the red boy, studying Rey from head to toe.  
"You're Rey, right?" her voice was deep, and not much kinder than the red haired man's, but at least she hadn't laughed at her yet. Rey assented, still smiling.  
"Yes, hi" she repeated, holding out a hand. The woman took it and stretched it firmly.  
"I'm Phas, we talked on the phone. Come on in, i'll get you settled. You're late, by the way. Don't let that happen again."  
Rey looked down at her phone. It was five minutes past eight, and Phas had told her to be there at eight. She had been there at eight.  
But as she stepped into the kitchen, everything else went away.  
It was smaller than she had expected it to be, but all the stations were there, clean and ready to be used. The white marble and metal surfaces shone like diamonds, and the kitchen stoves were of a coppery color, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. The utensils hanging over the stoves, not staked, looked like million dollar cars on display. She could have spotted the Le Creuset iron skillets and pots from miles away. They looked old, used. Her eyes almost watered.  
Everything was spotless save for some already brewing, steaming cooking pots that smelled delicious. Phas was right, she was late (even if it wasn't really her fault). The kitchen was already crowded and boiling with energy.  
"Come, I'll introduce you" said Phas, wiping her hands with a cloth that hung by her waist.  
Rey walked around the isles, eyes wide open. She had worked her ass off in lots of different kitchens for four years; she was more than used to the display and recognized the stations right away, but something about that particular kitchen took her breath away. The furnishing was almost entirely made of a honey-colored wood, and it gave everything a soft, warm feeling that stole her heart right away. It made such a beautiful contrast with the white marble tabletops, she couldn't...  
"Everyone, a moment, please" said Phas without really raising her voice. Everyone stopped and looked towards them. Rey felt suddenly intimidated.  
"This is Rey, the new commis chef. She starts working today." Rey rose a hand, but nobody mimicked her. Okay, she had expected focus, but these people looked like machines. "Rey, this is the brigade. Armie, the poissonnier; Mitaka, the rótisseur; Jynn, the garde manger; Mando, the saucier; Rose, pastry chef. The other commis: Finn, Paige and Kaydel. You'll work at Mitaka's station, presumably. Although, well, being four commis and five stations, you'll rotate so that everyone is covered. Understood?"  
Rey nodded as convincingly as she could. She honestly couldn't wait to begin.  
"I'm Gwen Phasma, the sous chef. Chef Solo is at his office. Go, introduce yourself and be back sooner rather than later, please. We've already wasted half the morning. That's it, people. Back to work!"  
Well, that had been fast. Rey tried to retain the names, but could only remember a few. Rose, the pastry chef, seemed nice. And Finn looked like he was her age, give or take. She looked around and found the door to the office. She swallowed, wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans.  
She could do this. Rey breathed in deeply for the second time that morning, walked towards the door and slightly knocked three times. A deep, angry voice rapidly responded.  
"Come in"  
Rey opened the door and, for a moment, she entirely forgot who the man before her was.  
Ben Solo was standing behind his desk, hands on the table, bent over some papers. He hadn't even bothered to look up from them when she knocked. His black, semi-long hair fell over his eyes. Rey realized she hadn't seen a single image of him, anywhere. She knew almost everything about him thanks to Luke, and she had googled him, but she always had gone straight to the recipes and other cooking info instead of looking for his face. That had been stupid.  
The chef looked up from the table and stabbed her with his brown, dark eyes. His nose was big, but so was his mouth, and somehow it all came down to a harmonized look that stroke her as attractive. Beautiful, even. She cleared her throat.  
"Next time just open the door, don't bother knocking. You're the new commis?".  
Okay, he was very straightforward. She could work with that.  
"Yes, I'm Rey. I come from..."  
"Nowhere, apparently" he interrupted her. He moved the papers around, looking for what she saw was her resumé, and lifted it up in front of him. "Cordon Bleu. That's not very promising. You could've just gone to McDonald's and would've learned the same stupid shit. But chef Tarkin from the Imperial recommended you. That's why you're here, really."  
Rey took in a breath. Calm down, you knew what you were getting yourself into.  
"I assume Gwen has already shown you around" it wasn't a question, but Rey decided to answer anyway.  
"Yes, she has. And thank you for this opportunity" she blurted out, as seriously as she could.  
"Thank yourself. And if you're out in a week, blame yourself, too"  
Rey froze on the spot. That didn't sound very promising either. If there was something she knew for sure was that she wouldn't be out of there for the world before doing what she'd come to do. He would learn that soon enough.  
She all but nodded and grabbed the doorknob, ready to fly to the kitchen. She heard his voice once more.  
"Tell Gwen I'll be right there"  
Rey didn't even look back. He wasn't going to wear her down. She thought of her master, and a slight feel of rage and determination settled deep in her stomach. No, of all men on earth, Ben Solo wasn't going to wear her down.


	2. 2

The Order's kitchen worked like a fine oiled machine. By 12AM clients started to come in and the affluence didn't stop until well passed 10PM. It was crazy. Rey couldn't have been happier.

Mitaka wasn't very charming, but he wasn't as rude as the redhead dork and worked efficiently. Rey roasted, salted, fried and panned every piece of meat to perfection. She loved cooking birds. The difficulty of it was a challenge, but if the outcome was good, the feeling of accomplishment was always double. She specially loved duck. Its grease was a miracle. Anything you threw on it tasted like heaven. Even the dumbest potato smelled like a million bucks when you roasted it in duck grease.

Her _chef de partie_ didn't look too amazed by Rey's skills, but he didn't complain either, so she took it as a good sign. The chicken crusts were golden, the steaks mid-rared to a glorious, deep shade of pink, and she just couldn't stop smiling. This was what she was made for, her territory, no matter whose kitchen she was in. It was being just as she'd imagined it.

And that included Ben Solo's attitude towards his workers. The brigade was one of the most well organized, focused, efficient and extraordinary teams she'd ever worked with, but somehow it still wasn't good enough for chef Solo. He checked the stations every few minutes, paying special attention to, well, _everything_ , and didn't go back to the plating without stating a few orders or cursing a few times. The tantrums, though, were nowhere to be seen as of yet. Apparently, it was being a calm day.

"Did you check the salt? That tastes like absolutely nothing, Mando"

Rey had never seen a chef that spent so much time in between the stations. Gwen (or Phas, whatever) was more of an assistant to him than a _sous chef_. But she didn't dislike it. It showed compromise, commitment, worry. He was strict, but Rey could tell that his workers respected him and somehow had accepted his rudeness as part of his commanding style. Not that it was a good thing, but...

He was so sure of every single one of his movements. Solo moved around like he possessed the place, like the kitchen was _him,_ and Rey felt like she and the rest of the brigade were just walking around his gut, sightseeing his insides. He was fast, too, but his maneuvers were never rushed. Every move was precise, calculated. He looked strong, confident. No wonder he was the best. And no wonder the others accepted his commands without a second thought.

Her heart had almost stopped when she had seen him chop a shallot. She had seen it and done it thousands of times herself (not to brag, but she was one of the best vegetable choppers around), but the way he gripped the knife, how strong his fingers looked.

She blushed a bit. What in the _hell_. She went back to her chicken, just in time to turn it around before roasting it too much. She couldn't allow herself to lose focus.

By 11.30PM, Rey got to her tiny apartment smelling like a roasted chicken wing herself. She took a shower, relaxed her muscles and threw herself on the couch. Then, she burst into laughter.

She was so happy she thought she could die. She was working at the kitchen of her dreams, getting to learn from the best, and she had managed to get through her first day without any screw ups and/or tantrums. She was one step closer to her actual dream. And for the first time she felt like she could do it. Like, for real. She could _actually_ do it. If she could work at the Order without getting fired on her first day, she could do _anything_.

She closed her eyes, content. She just had to keep it like that for as long as necessary, and she'd be all right. More than all right. She'd be more than enough.

The week went by without any major incidents. Ben rose his voice and complained about small details every now and then, but the well-trained brigade kept its focus and Rey had come to feel part of the machinery in no time. She had already familiarized herself with where the utensils were, with how chef Solo liked the food stocked (recent to the left, less recent to the right for stock and sauces, but everything on sight) and had exchanged a few words with her fellow workers, although not many.

She had been right from the very start. Rose was charming and had shown her around the pantry when she saw her lost while looking for some onions. Finn was at the same career stage, which made them bond almost immediately over the few breaks they got. Kaydel was a bit colder, but quite nice as well.

As for the other _chefs de partie,_ Rey hadn't come to know them yet. Jyn was very quiet, but loud at the same time. Very determined and _bothered_. Rose pledged allegiance to her, though.

"She's great, you'll see. She looks angry all the time, but you can trust her with anything"

Rey smiled, drinking water from her bottle. It had been a rough morning and they were taking a break near the back door. Rose carried on, excited.

"We usually go grab a drink on Wednesdays after the shift. Would you like to join us? You'll get to meet her! And us, obviously, just in case you don't like us enough already" she said, pointing both at her and Finn, who was smoking a cigarette a bit far away from them. He rose his eyebrows, mimicking Rose's excited face.

"I'd love to" and she really would. She had made some friends back at the Cordon Bleu, but she really wanted to get to know her coworkers well. It was a team, and she wanted to feel like she could be a part of it, someday.

"It's settled, then".

"Recess is over, _minions._ Get back in the kitchen." Armitage, the red haired dork (as Rey had officially named him) signaled inside with his thumb.

"Don't play _sous chef,_ Armie. We all know it'll take you a while to get there" Rose rolled her eyes and climbed the steps to the door, winking at Rey. She stiffed a laugh. She was about to get through the door, careful not to touch Hux, when he stopped her, straightening his arm across the door's arch.

"You'll have to come help me with the fish now, _newmis._ Don't screw me over."

"Has Phas ordered this, or...?"

"What do you care? Just do what you're told."

He was a complete. _Fucking_. Idiot. He walked towards his station and Rey followed him, looking back at Mitaka. He watched her march behind Armie but didn't say a word. Rey shrugged her shoulders, expecting him to laugh or smile or give her a sign of some sort, but he just looked down at his steak again, unbothered. So much for team building.

Hux was a dork, but she was still a damn good cook. And fish was no stranger to her. She knew almost every type there was, and how to cook it to perfection.

The Order was very well known for its roasted wild salmon and, apparently, that's what she had to cook for most part of the day. Chef Solo had been out for the whole morning but was expected to show up at some point during that afternoon. He didn't like to be gone for too long and, with all honesty, Rey didn't like him to be gone much either. Hux always braved up whenever he was not around. It was insufferable.

"Take care of the roasting. I'll slice it."

He didn't trust her with cutting the meat, but that made sense. He still hadn't seen her work and a single ounce of wild salmon costed a small fortune, so he couldn't risk to mess it up. She knew she wouldn't, but she had to prove it to him. She took on the task of roasting, determined to do her best.

Half way to a near half dozen cooked salmons, Rey turned around the piece she was cooking on the skillet and felt something grazing her spatula. She had felt enough pieces of salmon to know exactly what it was. Furrowing her brow, she got closer to the salmon and grabbed a pair of small tweezers. She scrapped the side of the fish and, without much effort, she found what she was looking for. A long, white fishbone that looked sharp enough to pierce an elephant's throat. She held it up towards Hux, worried.

"Have you been checking for fishbones?"

Hux turned around, ready to kill, but his eyes opened wide when he saw the fishbone Rey was holding up to him. Then, to her surprise, he slapped her hand and made the tweezers fall, along with the bone.

"Are you mad?!" he screamed. Everyone turned around to look at them. Rey was so in shock she didn't even know how to react. He had _slapped_ her hand. "Have I been checking for _fishbones_? Who do you think I am, a fucking idiot?"

"Well, I just found..."

"Well, if you do, just take it the fuck off"

"But that's not..."

Right that second, chef Solo made his grand entrance through the back door. Everybody went quiet instantly. He took off his leather jacket and furrowed a brow, looking around.

"What's going on? Don't you have work to do?"

"Yes, chef" everybody chanted at once. Rey turned her attention back to the skillet. She was still not over it, though. That _moron_ had slapped her hand. And more than that, for all she knew, he was basically signing death sentences for every salmon order that went out the door. She considered telling the chef, but she didn't want to be that person, either. It had probably been a one time thing. She hoped it had been.

She kept cooking the salmon and its base sauce. When the orders went a bit down, she allowed herself to relax a bit. But it seemed like Hux was still not done with her that day.

"Rey, I'm sorry about earlier" he said. She nodded but kept her guard up. She didn't trust him at all. "I'd like to see you try and cut the salmon. I'll do the roasting for the rest of the day, if that's okay with you"

Rey looked at Hux, still not trusting him, but she already knew she'd say yes. She couldn't deny herself the opportunity. She wanted them to know just about how skilled she was at everything, and letting her cut such an expensive product was a great act of trust. Maybe he just meant well.

"Sure" she said, still a bit stiff. He nodded and moved around her to switch positions.

Rey got to open a whole new fish, and the work itself relaxed her. She curled her fingers around the meat, guiding the knife, letting it do the work. She found herself enjoying the process, challenging herself to leave the carcass as clean as possible. Rey was so abducted by the task she almost didn't notice Ben Solo towering behind her, looking over her shoulder.

Almost.

"Enjoying yourself?" she looked back for a split second. Yes, it was obviously him, with his plain black t-shirt and his black apron at the hips, and his black trousers and black hair, staring at her with his jaw clenched. She looked down at the salmon, suddenly worried she had done something wrong. But the cuts were clean, the pieces neatly presented.

"Yes?" she managed to say. Ben Solo rose a brow. She had to learn to just shut the hell up. "I mean... yes, chef"

And that wouldn't help.

Much to her surprise, chef Solo looked at her and let out the most quiet, stifled laugh. He tried to hide it, but it was too late. She had already seen it. She had seen Ben Solo smile. Sort of.

"Keep going" he blurted, and marched on to the next station.

Rey picked up the knife again, trying not to slice her own hand open in the process. He had seen her work, and he had _approved of it_. Now it was her turn to stifle a laugh. Maybe it wasn't going to be that much of a bad day after all.

"Chef Solo, someone's asking for you"

Yes, that was another one of the perks of being the youngest, most talented chef in Paris; everyone who stepped in wanted a word with him to tell him just how much they enjoyed the "experience". Gwen was the one in charge of politely turning them down, but if she considered the client was worth Ben Solo's time, then she usually called him outside. Once, Rey had seen a bit of Vice President Holdo's sleeve through the crack of the door.

He walked out, and Rey kept on cleaning what was left of her fish. Ben Solo-approved fish. She smiled again, unable to help herself.

She heard the low mumble of the conversation that was being held outside. It sounded rather enthusiastic; the client was being a bit noisy. She could hear Ben Solo's low voice in response, but the commensal kept… Interrupting him? Was that what was happening? Rey stopped her knife mid-cut. Yes, she was eavesdropping, but in her defense, things were getting louder than usual. Even Mitaka had turned around a bit, and Rose's whipped cream was about to slip from the spoon she was holding onto the floor if…

The kitchen's door slammed open. Rey caught a glimpse of the customer, who was apparently being accompanied by Gwen towards the exit. Were they kicking them out? But before anyone had a chance to ask, Ben Solo marched through the whole kitchen until he was right in front of… well, her. 

Rey had to raise her chin up a bit. He was close, too close, maybe, and he was as tall as a tree. He had cornered her against the station, shadowing her completely. Rey drew in a breath, taken by surprise, and smelled something like soft, clean cotton, and then a hint of aftershave. She swallowed, and was about to say something (even though she had told herself time and time again not to be so forward in front of him, but what was it about Ben Solo that made her run her mouth so easily) when chef Solo cut her short.

"You're fired."

The whole kitchen went silent.

Rey looked at him and blinked a few times. He was staring at her like she'd set the whole building on fire. She could tell he was holding back what felt like a raging tsunami about to hit shore, trying not to scream so that the costumers wouldn't be bothered about what was happening inside the kitchen. Not that they would care if they knew, either. They didn't even know who she was; why would they care about her being fired?

That thought came down on her like a hammer. Fired? She was being _fired_?

"I'm… I'm sorry?" she managed to say, faintly.

"You heard me" he cut her again, grinding his teeth. "A customer, a _fucking_ costumer almost choked on a splinter the size of a fucking nail. If you are incapable of finding a _nail_ inside a piece of salmon then how are you even supposed to know how to cook it properly? Not to mention you almost _made, a fucking, customer, CHOKE._ " he screamed, and Rey tried to take a step back, only to hit the station's marbled edge with her back. She instantly knew it was going to bruise.

But he was not done. Chef Solo turned around and pointed a finger at Hux, who had gone paler than Rey had ever thought humanly possible.

"And you, you're lucky I don't have the time to find another _chef de partie_ right now, because letting a new _commis_ cut the pieces says as much about your incompetence as it says about hers."

Rey opened her mouth. She had to say something. It couldn't have been one of her pieces; none of them had gone through the door yet. She had to tell him. Hux was just standing there, white as a sheet of paper, shit scared to death. She had to do something.

"I…"

"Pick up your things and go."

She was paralyzed, unable to move. Mitaka, Rose, Finn, everybody was looking at her. She had to say something. Why couldn't she say something? She tried to open her mouth once more, but nothing came out. Ben Solo's eyes were still on her. They looked deranged.

"GO."

Rey jumped at the scream, and something inside her finally clicked.

She charged forward and pushed Chef Solo aside. Eyes glued to the floor, she tugged at the strings of her apron until it came off, threw it on the laundry pile and grabbed her purse from the hanger. Then, she hurried towards the door as fast as she could, still not looking anywhere but the black and white tiles she now realized she had come to like so much. Her throat turned into a knot.

Her hand opened the door on its own and a split second later she was running down the stairs, not daring to look back. And just like that, she was out on the streets again.

Just like that, every dream she had thought remotely possible was gone.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter and I'd very much like to update sooner next time. Hope you enjoy!

She'd been sitting on the couch for what felt like days.

At first, Rey had cried. A lot. When she finally got home, she had stumbled into the hall sobbing like a child, smashing her purse against the first surface she found and scaring the crap out of her foster cat. Beebee had run to her bedroom and she had let herself fall on the tiny sofa, fighting the urge to punch every single pillow she owned.

Instead, she'd just hugged herself and curled into a ball. She was not like this; she was a woman of action, a fighter; that's what had saved her throughout her entire life, her will to carry on. But this time something felt off. The Order had become something of a first step towards everything else, towards what she'd always wanted, and now she couldn't imagine how she'd get there without that first step. Specially now that chef Solo thought of her as an incompetent, careless cook and would make sure she didn't get recommended anywhere else. Her life as a cook in Paris was basically over, and all because of a mistake she knew she hadn't made.

That had led her to the second stage of her grief. She wasn't incompetent, she wasn't careless, and the incident hadn't been her fault. That moronic, intolerable, idiotic son of a table Hux had just left her on her own, not even daring to stand up for a mistake he knew was his. She _had_ checked for splinters, and he had smacked her hand in return. He'd let chef Solo assume it was her fault, not his, and saved his own ass while letting hers get fired. For the first time in her existence, Rey truly felt like murdering someone.

But what annoyed her the most was her own lack of temperance. She'd just stood there, letting Ben Solo think she was careless and bad at her job. Someone had accused her of unintentional attempted murder and she'd just… done nothing. She should've stood up for herself, like she'd learned to do throughout the years. But being there, in front of everyone, feeling like a disappointment… it had gotten the best of her. Even when she'd known it hadn't been her doing. Not really. Maybe she should've been more thorough after she found the first splinter. Maybe she could've done something about it.

Maybe if chef Solo hadn't decided to yell at her in front of everyone she would've found the courage to answer back.

Rey shifted a bit on the couch and reached for her phone. She'd been laying there for exactly twenty and a half hours. Her back hurt, her knees hurt, and she smelled like demons. She had three missed calls from Rose. Her pulse quickened at the thought of her ex-coworker and almost dialed her number straight away, but her fingers came to a halt. She needed to put herself together first. Talking while being on that state wouldn't do her any good.

That was the first hint of good thinking she'd had for an entire day. Well, at least it was something.

She got up and her stomach wrenched. Rey hadn't had anything to eat since God knew when. It was well passed four in the afternoon, but she figured she could take a shower and have an extra early dinner. She could maybe just microwave those instant noodles she liked so much, and spice them up a bit on the pan. Self-indulgence wasn't usually her thing, but she needed the carbs and the push. And the self pity, just a tiny bit of it.

The shower made her feel instantly better. With the towel still curled around her head, she grabbed her phone again, ready to prepare her supper and half ready to call Rose back and talk about what had happened. Maybe talking about it with her would make her feel better. She'd been so caring and attentive to her since day one. She couldn't just leave without saying goodbye, at least through the phone.

But just as she was about to dial, the doorbell rang and scared the shit out of her. She realized she'd never heard the doorbell before.

"Force, that was loud" she mumbled to herself.

Rey picked up the entryphone, confused. She tried to gather herself before answering.

"Yes?"

"Hello, is this Rey Johnson's?"

For a minute, she was dead.

She recognized that voice, as distorted as it sounded through the crappy line. Her mind froze as she gaped at the phone. No, but it couldn't be. It was four in the afternoon, it was peak hour. There was no way in hell it was him.

"Who is this?" she managed to ask, trying to steady her voice as best as she could.

"It's Ben Solo."

No, she was dead, for sure. She stood there, holding onto the phone like a lifeline, trying to calm down. But she surprised herself when in less than a second all the confusion and shock went away and gave way to pure rage instead, and all she saw was red when she all but barked back:

"What do you want?"

Oh, she was mad. She was furious. That made her feel less powerless. Yes, she could hold on to that wrath for support, just for now. Better than sinking back onto the couch full of self doubt, she supposed.

"I know this is rather unconventional, but I wanted to apologize in person on behalf of the restaurant. And myself, of course. I understand there was a misunderstanding about the splinter."

Rey took a deep breath once, then twice. Misunderstanding was the understatement of the year. But that was what was bothering her the least. She didn't know, in fact, what exactly was bothering her the most.

"Mrs Johnson? Rey?"

Hearing her name through the phone startled her. A few days ago she'd admonished herself for not being able to just shut her mouth around that man, and now she wasn't even able to tell him to just fuck off. Because that's what she wanted, right? To tell him to fuck off.

A clear image of the Order's kitchen struck her like lightning, and went away just as fast as it'd come. She knew what that feeling was, and she'd always been very wary around it. Hope was a very dangerous thing for a woman like her to have. But turns out, she kind of had always had it.

"Can I come in?" chef Solo insisted. Well, if there was something absolutely true about any of that was that the man was persistent. One didn't become the best chef in Paris without being thorough, apparently.

Rey buzzed him in and immediately regretted her decision. Her apartment looked like a raccoon's nest. She quickly picked up everything that she'd scattered around the floor during the last twenty-or-so hours; clothes, pillows, her blanket, purse, jacket, and tossed everything on top of her bed. The kitchen was nicely clean, thank God, safe for a frying pan she'd used the day before (soaking on the sink) and the instant noodles that were about to become her dinner on the kitchen counter.

Ben Solo knocked on her door. She got rid of her head towel and threw it away somewhere right before grabbing the door knob.

She took a last glance around her tiniestest apartment and breathed in once more. She pulled, and there he was.

Chef Solo didn't look much different from when she'd last seen him. It seemed like every piece of clothing he owned was either black or dark grey. Not that it didn't suit him. He was holding a helmet with his right hand, but his hair looked as fine as always. Rey blushed at the thought. She was ogling her boss. _Former_ boss, but nonetheless.

He tightened his mouth onto a fine line, furrowed his brow and nodded as a greeting. Rey stared at him.

_This is madness,_ she thought to herself. _What on earth is he doing here?_

She could tell he was asking himself that same question. Chef Solo stood in the hallway, towering over her like he always did, uncomfortable but determined. He looked down at her, taking a breath.

"I hope this is not a bad time" 

Well, maybe it was. Not that he had bothered to call first, or send a note, or whatever it was that he did to let his will be known to his inferiors.

"Just as good as any" she answered back after a while. She realized her arms were tightly crossed in front of her chest, shielding herself from him. That wasn't much of a position of power. She tried to relax her demeanor, but couldn't. Ben Solo clenched his jaw, fisting his free hand, and Rey held on for dear life. She wasn't going to be nice to him. Not after he had yelled at her for no reason in front of the whole brigade.

"As I said," he proceeded, trying to keep calm "I'm here to apologize for a mistake that was made. That I made." He corrected himself. "I know it wasn't you who cut the pieces that first went out the door. It would be unfair for you to lose your job over a mistake you didn't commit."

"Yeah, it would" she clapped back, sounding a bit harsher than she had intended. "But you've already fired me. In front of everyone, in fact."

Ben Solo's eyes widened a bit, like he had gotten used to not getting replied at; not on that tone, at least . But he managed to put himself together in no time. His nostrils flared.

"Yes, the conversation could've been more private, but the situation was serious, and…"

"You didn't even bother to ask if it _had_ been me." Rey cut him, without even raising her voice.

"I had seen you cutting the salmon fucking _minutes_ before." He was starting to lose it a bit, and Rey rejoiced. Why was she doing that, putting at risk the only chance she had to get her job back, she didn't know, but she wasn't going to let Ben Solo get away with yelling at her just like that. She knew she had to draw lines. She had learned that the hard way.

"Of course I thought it was you." He carried on, palms up. "And may I remind you, you yourself did nothing to righten the misunderstanding."

"I was just going by your advice, you know." He looked at her and she stared back, dead serious. "Blaming myself for being kicked out."

The memory downed on him, and he dropped his hands to his waist, taking a big breath in and out. When he looked back up at her, his jaw was still tense, but his eyes were softer.

"I'm just here to apologize and offer you your job back. I know you're very good at it. I know you enjoy it. And they all have put on a very good word for you."

Her breath hitched, and her heart did a weird thing on her chest. She hadn't been counting on that. Not on his compliments, not on her coworkers.

"I'd never seen Mitaka swear by anyone before." Chef Solo continued. "In fact, I don't think I'd ever heard Mitaka talk about anything other than food before saying you were the best _commis_ he'd ever worked with."

Much to Rey's frustration, she half smiled. For a moment, she saw Mitaka's straight face and found it much less intimidating.

"So, if you want it back, the position is yours."

Rey bit her lip and lowered her gaze, staring at her naked toes as if they were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. There was no point in denying she had already known how that conversation was going to end up like. She was beaming.

Careful not to show so as much, she nodded twice. She heard Ben Solo sigh in what could've been… Relief, maybe? He sticked his free hand on his pocket.

"Good, I mean… Thank you, we'll be glad to have you back."

"Yeah, I'd be happy to, too." Rey offered half a smile in response. Her once-again boss clenched his mouth once more. "You run a very nice kitchen, you know? Michelin stars and tantrums aside. It's a good place."

She did not know why she'd said that. She'd just gotten her job back and was about to get fired again. But chef Solo gaped a little, and maybe grinned a bit too. He nodded.

"Yes, I know" he finally stated. Then, after giving it a thought, he lowered his gaze and mumbled in his deep, mellow voice. "But it's nice to hear it from someone else."

They stood there in front of the other in what could've been considered a comfortable silence. Good, things would be good for her, for once. She gazed at him, and found he was already looking at her, intendedly.

"Would you, eh, like to come in, I haven't offered…"

"No, actually, I mean, I have to go back as quickly as possible, and I was hoping you'd come with me."

"Oh" Rey blinked, taken by surprise. "So this was all just because you needed a pair of extra hands, I take?"

"Not _any_ pair of extra hands, though." He half smiled at her, and Rey felt hotness on her cheeks. What a jerk. "They're actually expecting us, so if you…"

"You were so sure I was going to say yes that they're already _expecting_ us?" Rey opened her eyes and crossed her arms again, asking herself when exactly had she come to relax completely.

"I hoped for it hard enough." He lifted the helmet and offered it to her, raising his brows. The gesture made him look like a giant puppy and Rey had to remind herself that, obviously, he was not. "Shall we?"

Rey sighed and snatched the helmet off of his hands, only to remember she was basically on her pajamas.

"Okay, just give me a minute. I need to grab my stuff and change. Come in, make yourself at home".

And just like that, Ben Solo was in her apartment. She was playing it way cooler than she really felt. He looked like a giant in black strolling across Lilliput land. Rey tried not to ogle him again and walked towards her bedroom, putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, a jacket and her tennis shoes (her preferred kind for being all day standing up). When she got out, he was standing by her kitchen counter, holding her forgotten noodle cup near his face, inspecting it. Rey's cheeks went full red, again.

"That's, well, I didn't feel like cooking tonight."

Chef Solo looked at her, twitching his lips. He shook his head.

"This is my favorite brand, too."

Rey opened her eyes wide and, much to her embarrassment, she chuckled. She had never imagined chef Solo eating anything other than white truffled spaghetti and expensive steak.

"They're really, really nice" she admitted, and he nodded seriously in agreement. Rey carried on. "I think it's the ingredients they use. No food coloring and very few additives."

She loved, _loved_ to nerd about food ingredients. Maybe a bit too much. Chef Solo looked at her, amused. She felt the urge to shove her head into the bin.

"So, shall we?" she blurted out in a mild attempt to cover up her now very present embarrassment. The young chef nodded.

"We shall".


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3 These chapters are too short, perhaps, so you deserve them on the same day. 
> 
> Disclaimer: english is not my first language, so I apologize for any grammar/wording mistakes you may find.

She had not thought about the bike, either.

Rey had never minded them, but she just hadn't realized she'd be holding on to her boss's sides and legs for about fifteen minutes while riding back to the restaurant. She hadn't been ready. She doubted she would've ever been ready.

His back was so wide and he himself was so tall that she could hardly see the road ahead. And she would've tried not to be so close to him, not to just bend and circle his waist with her arms for stability, she really would have, but the man drove a Harley Davidson Sportster, of course, and there wasn't much room left for her on the seat, neither to sit on nor where to hold on to.

So there she was, flushed against him, legs open and pressing onto his, which where easily a third thicker than hers. He was… he was firm. Big, steady. Safe. She was trying not to encage him completely, so her hands were clutched onto the sides of his jacket. But still.

They stopped at a red light and Rey looked to the sides, only to see their reflection on a windowed café. He looked stunning. Like an easy going panther bent over a very expensive tree branch. She looked petite and much more less intimidating.

"You okay?" He turned his head a bit, and Rey tried to peek over his shoulder to make sure he heard her back.

"Yes, all good"

Great, she was from Texas now.

They were silent for the rest of the ride. Rey decided to try and focus on anything else besides the man that was sitting in between her legs, and eventually got distracted by Paris's streets and shops and cafés.

It was truly a beautiful city. She'd left England in the hope of a better life, a future, but she'd never hoped for _beauty_. Frankly, she'd never cared too much about it at all, and still went by without giving it much thought. But ever since she'd gotten to Paris she saw it much more often, and it made her realize how big of a mistake it was, the not paying attention to it. The not striving for it enough. Cooking was a thing of beauty, too. Whenever she cooked, she made sure she remembered.

The engine went dead and Rey came back down to Earth. They had gotten to the restaurant much faster than she'd thought.

She was now fully curled against him, her hands grabbing each other just under his sternum. Chef Solo cleared his throat.

"Okay, careful with the tailpipe when you come down, it gets very warm"

She let go of him so fast she almost fell off of the bike. He gripped the handlebar harder and steadied them both, allowing Rey to finally get her foot on the ground. She took off her helmet as fast as she could, grasping for air.

_It's just a sternum, for Force's sake_. She instantly knew she was trying to convince herself. She also tried not to think about what that meant.

"Very graceful" he mumbled while he too got off the bike.

"Oh, shut up" she barked, humoredly. He half smiled.

Chef Solo secured the Harley and they both began walking towards the kitchen's entrance. Suddenly, Rey had an epiphany.

"And what about… Well, eh…"

"Hux?"

Rey stayed silent while slowing down. He walked beside her, adjusting his pacing to hers.

"He's been given a two-week notice. We need time to find a new _chef de partie."_

"I'm sorry"

"What for? You didn't do anything wrong"

"But things like this happen. Splinters leak, sometimes. Firing someone because of a splinter may be… "

"That's not the reason I'm firing him" he interrupted. "He was careless, but most of all he let me fire you and didn't come forward to take the blame until the others urged him to do so. _Chefs de partie_ have to set an example. He didn't."

"So you're firing him" Rey countered, a bit annoyed about him being this harsh. She was pretty sure she hated Hux more than anyone else, but the punishment seemed disproportioned.

"Yes, I am" He turned a bit to look at her, his voice deepened, as if he were trying to remind the audience and himself of who he was. "The Order has gotten to be what it is because of the people who work on it. We can't afford to have people who don't take responsibility for their actions"

Rey looked at him, and he stared back with a dead serious gaze.

He was so… passionate. Rey had already admitted to herself she had admired him way before she even knew him in person, but getting to match the real man to her expectations, and even bettering them, well. It did things to her. He was a workaholic, scary, childish tantrum-thrower genius, but he also had this something about him. Something that made you want to be better, too. To grow. And he felt like he was someone who could help you do that.

She was about to answer, but the rear door slammed open and Rose surged from the inside, almost knocking Rey down the steps.

"I knew you'd come back!" She screamed on her ear. Rey laughed and hugged her back in shock.

"Longest twenty-four hours of our lives" Finn approached them and patted Rey's shoulder.

"Okay, okay, everybody, please, back to your stations" said Gwen, coming from behind Finn. "Welcome back, Rey"

She nodded, letting Rose go back to her desserts. Kaydel rose her hand to greet her from Jyn's side, who also smiled before going back to whatever sausage she was chopping.

"You're back with Mitaka for the day" chef Solo stated, and carried on to put on his apron.

Rey practically flew to Mitaka's side, and he welcomed her with a brief nod that now felt like the warmest gesture on planet Earth. Rey smiled, gleaming at him, ready to get back to work, but not before glancing towards the _poissonnier'_ s counter. Hux was cooking what looked like a piece of tuna on a pan. Noticing Rey's eyes on him, he looked back at her only to immediately lower his head again to the task at hand. Well, if that's how it was going to be, then she wasn't going to feel bad about him any longer. He'd find another job soon enough. Having worked at The Order was just the same as having a free pass to any other kitchen in the country, and even more so if you got fired.

It turned out to be a pretty busy night. Clients didn't stop coming in until well passed ten p.m.. Rey rejoiced in her own exhaustion like the true workaholic she was. Chef Solo took over plating, so he stayed on the kitchen for the whole afternoon. By the time they started wrapping up, it was almost midnight.

"Good job today, everyone" said the chef when the last client went out the door.

Ben Solo congratulating the brigade was as rare as a cool summer's day in Arizona, so they all ended up smiling at each other, tired but happy.

They changed into their street clothes while chatting and laughing, and tidied most of the mess in no time. There were no _plangeurs_ at the Order's kitchen. Finn had joked about it once, saying that Ben Solo wanted to keep them grounded.

"Well, your most awaited return deserves a very much awaited night out" said Finn once they were all out on the street. Rose smiled ear to ear and clapped a few times.

"Yes, yes, let's go out! Wednesdays are our less busy nights of the week, so… tomorrow?"

"Fine by me" said Kaydel with half a smile.

"Jyn, come on, it's been ages since the last time" Rose poked at her sleeve and the _chef de partie_ gave her a curt smile, but ended up nodding.

"Okay"

"Great! Paige? Mando?"

The _saucier_ nodded tightly, and Paige rolled her eyes.

"Obviously, I'll need as many drinks as I can get"

"Well, it'll be a weekday, so don't get too invested, eh"

Gwen unlocked her bike, giving the group a judging look. But Rose was far from feeling intimidated.

"C'mon Gwen, it'll be fun! Remember that last time at the Lisbon Café, when you snatched the microphone from that poor man's…"

"Oooookay. Have a nice night, everyone. See you tomorrow"

She peddled away and left Rose with her mouth semi open, making Rey laugh a bit. But the pastry chef wasn't done recruiting. She turned around towards Mitaka, Hux and, much to Rey's horror, Ben Solo.

"What about you, gentlemen? Care to join us? Chef Solo, may we interest you in a bit of team building?"

That girl was ruthless. Rey could tell Finn had gone a bit pale too, but Paige and Jyn were both smiling and looking at chef Solo intendedly, almost mischievously.

Mitaka stared at Rose and, piercing his lips together, turned around and walked away without saying a single word. Rey could've sworn his ears had reddened up a bit.

"I… I don't think I can, sorry" mumbled Hux, putting on his jacket. "Have a good night"

He strolled away. Rey couldn't blame him. She wouldn't have liked to go out with a brigade she had just got fired from, either. She couldn't help to feel bad for him, though, even though she had sworn to herself she wouldn't. Oh, well. Being a kindred spirit and all.

"Chef? Busy night tomorrow?" Rose insisted. Chef Solo had begun to unlock his motorbike, and looked back at Rose and the rest of them as if he hadn't heard any part of the entire conversation. Jyn and Mando walked away, waving their hands, and Rey waved back at them before turning around to rejoin Rose's crusade.

"What?" Said the Chef, putting on his helmet.

"Drinks, tomorrow, to celebrate Rey's inability to stay away from us."

The young chef looked at Rey in the eye and she felt her whole face going red for the eleventh time that day. Thank the Force it was dark as hell. He held her gaze for what felt like an eternity. Why was she suddenly feeling so self-conscious?

"I don't know, maybe" he looped his leg over his Harley and adjusted the helmet's chinstrap. "We'll be reviewing the pastry menu for the weekend first thing tomorrow morning. Be sure to have it ready."

"Aye, chef!" said Rose without missing a beat.

Glancing one last time towards her, Ben Solo started the engine and drove away, leaving Rey, Rose, Finn and Paige under the street lamp. Rey stared at the bike as it took off. Then, she turned around to see everybody else looking at her.

"… What?"

"What have you done to him?" Rose was gaping at her, eyes open as if she'd just seen Beyoncé walking down the street.

"To whom?"

"Chef Solo must be feeling guilty as _hell_ " stated Finn, whistling in a low tone.

"What do you mean?" As in, _what the hell are you talking about_ , she wanted to bark.

"He said _maybe._ That's as good as it gets with Ben Solo" Paige clarified, smiling at Rose.

"I can't remember the last time he came to grab a drink with us" said Rose. "Christmas, maybe? What month are we in?"

"It's June, Rose, for Force's sake" Paige tugged at her older sister's arm, making Rose recoil.

"Right. Must be the nice weather, then" She said, winking at Rey.

Before she had any time to react, they all strode away, waving at her goodbye.

"See you tomorrow, Rey! Make sure to grab a good night's rest!"

And just like that, they were all gone. Rey was left alone with her thoughts, which were now dangerously gravitating towards a certain man on top of a motorcycle, staring at her and mumbling in a deep, grave voice. She turned around and walked away.

_Maybe,_ she thought, trying to remind herself of what the word meant.

It was just a _maybe_.


End file.
